Feeding apparatus for box-making machines



Sept. 11, 1956 D. G. KINGSLEY FEEDING APPARATUS FOR BOX-MAKING MACHINES Filed May 14, 1.952

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FEEDING APPARATUS FOR BOX-MAKING MACHINES Filed May 14, 1952 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. David 6. Kingsley A TTORNEYS United States PatentOlfice 2,762,493 Fatented Sept. 11, 1956 2,762,493 FEEDING APPARATUS FOR BOX-MAKING MACHINES David G. Kingsley, Mountain Lakes, N. J., assignor to Stapling Machines (30., Rockaway, N. J a corporation of Delaware Application May 14, 1952, Serial No. 287,688

1 Claim. (Cl. 198-167) The present invention relates to wirebound box-making machines of the type wherein a continuous succession of wire-connected box blanks issuing from a box-parts fabricating machine are conveyed past mechanism which severs the binding wires in the interval between adjacent box blanks and forms the resulting cut wire ends into interengageable fasteners, and particularly to an automatic feeding apparatus which can readily be incorporated into such machines to provide positive feeding of all box blanks, including those having alternate sections of different widths.

A box-making machine of this general type, which is known in the trade as a rock fastener" machine, is disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,161,200 which issued June 6, 1939. These machines are customarily equipped with a feeding mechanism which includes a pair of parallel belts adapted for frictional engagement with the lateral edges of the box blanks. Such a feeding system operates satisfactorily upon box blanks of conventional designthat is, wherein the lateral edges of the adjacent sections of each box blank are in alignment. However, the system is not well adapted for the feeding of box blanks of the type shown in Figure 1 wherein the lateral edges of the alternate sections are offset. As may be seen by reference to Figure 1, if the length of the narrow sections of the box blank exceeds the length of the feed belts, movement of the box blank will cease when one of the narrow sections reaches the feed belts, since the belts would not then be in frictional engagement with the opposite sides of the box blank.

The type of box blank shown in Figure 1 is particularly adapted to be assembled on a pallet or skid base in a wrap-around manner with a cover added to the top of the box, as in the illustrative container shown in Figure 2. This wirebound box is of the type disclosed in the copending application Serial No. 75,373, filed February 9, 1949 and now abandoned. These boxes have proven their dependability in shipping extremely heavy and bulky items. Their construction adapts them particularly well for use where the containers are to be stacked one above the other, with the lower containers in the stack bearing the weight of the containers above them. Another advantageous feature of this box construction is the provision of openings in the pallet base for insertion of the fork of a conventional lift truck. For these and other reasons, this type of container has gone into widespread use. However, the containers have had the disadvantage that the irregularity of the edges of the blanks from which the containers are made made it difiicult to feed them through rock fastener machines having conventional feeding mechanisms.

It is accordingly among the objects of the present invention to provide a practical feeding mechanism for feeding wirebound box blanks of the type wherein the lateral edges of adjacent sections are non-aligned or offset.

The invention provides a feeding apparatus having both the customary belts for engaging the lateral edges of the wider sections, and spur wheels adapted to engage the 2 undersurfaces of the cleats on the narrow sections. These two sets of feeding elements are driven in synchronism to feed the box blanks through the rock fastener machine.

In the drawings: r

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wirebound box blank, the alternate sections of which are offset; N

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the box blank folded around and secured to a pallet base;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary ffont elevation of a fock fastener machine incorporating a feeding mechanism embodying features of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken generally along the line 4-4 of Figure 3; a

Figure 5 is a fragmentary front elevational view, at enlarged scale, of the left-hand portion of the machine as viewed in Figure 3, showing one of the feeding units of the machine.

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the portion of the mechanism shown in Figure 5, as viewed from the left-hand side of that figure;

Figure 7 is a top plan view of the portion of the mecha: nism shown in Figures 5 and 6; and

Figure 8 is a front elevational view of the other feeding unit of the machine.

As shown in Figure 3, the feeding mechanism of the invention is attached to a cross member M at the front or receiving end of the work-supporting table T of the rock fastener machine. A pair of support members S and S extending longitudinally of table T support at their rear ends a pair of drive pulleys (not shown), and at their front ends a pair of idler pulleys P and P, respec tively (see also Figure 7). A feed belt L is trained about the pulleys of support member S, and a feed belt R is trained about the pulleys of support member S.

The inwardly facing spans of these two feed belts L and R extend generally parallel to each other and are adapted for frictional engagement with the opposite lateral edges of the box blanks, generally indicated B, sup ported by the table T. Support member S is fixed in position adjacent the left-hand side of table T, While support S is adjustable mounted for lateral movement along cross member M by means of a slot U therein (see Figure 8) for the purpose of accommodating box blanks of different widths.

The drive pulleys on which the belts L and R are mounted are connected to a suitable source of power and are driven so as to advance the box blanks through the machine in the direction indicated by the arrows A in Figures 1, 4 and 6.

As shown in Figures 3, 5 and 7, and particularly in Figure 7, spaced to the right of support member S from the face of feed belt L a distance equivalent to the width of the cleats C at the left-hand side of the box blank, a cleat guide member 2 is secured by screws 4 and spacers 3 to the upstanding flange 5 of an angle member 6 which is clamped on cross member M by a bolt 7 and clamp block 8.

Attached to the underside of angle member 6 adjacent cross member M, is a bearing 9, which rotatably supports a short shaft 10 on which is keyed at the left of angle member 6 (Figure 7) a feeding element 11. On the outer face of feeding element 11, a spur 'wheel :12 is fastened by screws 13, and on its inner face is integrally secured a sprocket 14. The sprocket 14 has, through drive chain 15, a driving connection with another similarly constructed feeding element 16, as shown in Figures 6 and 7. The latter feeding element 16 is rotatably mounted on a bolt 17 which is adjustably received in an elongated slot 18 of a block member 19 attached to the underside of angle member 6, with the bolt 17 being secured in the adjusted position in slot 18 by a clamp u not 20 threaded thereon. This arrangement provides for maintenance of the proper tension on drive chain 15.

As shown in Figures and 7, the short shaft is rotatably supported near its left-hand end by a bearing 21 fastened to an inwardly projecting flange 22 of a vertical plate member 23, which is secured to the front left-hand corner of table T by screws 24. Keyed to the left-hand end of short shaft 10, adjacent the outer side of bearing 21, is a bevel gear 25 which meshes with another bevel gear 26 keyed on the bottom end of a vertical' ly positioned short shaft 27 which is rotatably mounted in a bearing block 28 integrally fastened to the outer face at plate member 23. Adjustably mounted on the upper end of short shaft 27 is a sprocket 29, which is secured in position by a set screw 30. The desired direction, and speed of rotation is'imparted to sprocket 29 by connection through a drive chain 31 to a sprocket 32 integrally secured to the upper face of pulley P.

Shown in Figures 3 and 8 and particularly in Figure 8, is the feeding unit which engages the opposite or righthand side of the box blanks. This feeding unit is constructed similarly to the one just described, and is positioned for frictional engagement with the cleats at the right-hand side of the box blanks. Although the outer faces of the regular-width cleats C on the narrower sections are not in alignment with the outer faces of the extra-width cleats C on the wider sections, their inner faces are aligned and a cleat guide member 33 is provided for engagement with these inner faces.

Power is imparted to the feeding elements of the unit by an extension shaft 34 suitably connected to the righthand end of short shaft 10 (Figure 5) by universal joints 35 (see also Figure 3). The extension shaft 34 is rotatably supported adjacent support member S by a bearing 38 fastened to the underside of an angle member 39 (Figure 8), and at its outwardly extended end by an auxiliary bearing 40 (Figure 3) which is supported on the front side of cross member M by means of a bracket 40a. The bracket 40a is mounted so as to permit adjustment of the position of bearing 40 along the cross member- M, for example to accommodate movement of the righthand feed unit S to the extreme position. indicated in broken lines at 41 in Figure 3.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4 and particularly in Figure 4, presser units are mounted on the upper surface of support members S and S to apply sufiicient pressure to the upper faces of the box blanks above the spur wheels at either side of the box blanks, to cause the relatively sharp projecting points of the, spur wheels, to dig into the undersurfaces of the cleats, thereby insuring a positive feeding of the box blanks. These presser units, which are similarly constructed, include angular members 43 which are pivotally supported at 44 on a longitudinally extending angle bracket 42. At the lower, rearward ends of the downwardly and rearwardly projecting portions of angular arms 43 are rollers 45 rotatably mounted on studs 46. The face of each roller. 45 is suitably recessed, as shown in Figure 3, to provide clearance about the outside binding wires and staples of the. box blanks, with the remaining flanged portion of the face of rollers 45 continually urged against the upper surfaces of the blanks by springs 47. The left-hand ends of the springs 47, as viewed in Figure 4, are anchored to angle bracket 42 by pivotally mounted lugs 48, and their right-hand ends hook about bolts 49 carried by the upwardly projecting portions of the angular arms 43.

When inserting the leading end of the first box blank of the succession of wire-connected box blanks into the feeding mechanism, the angular arms 43 are moved clockwise, as viewed in Figure 4, until a pair of dogs 50 rest in recesses 51 in the upper edges of the arms 43, thereby raising rollers 45 and maintaining them at sufiicient height above the table T to provide clearance for inserting and properly positioning the leading box blank.

The drive ratio between the belts L and R and the spur wheels is such that both of these sets of feeding elements tend to move the box blanks through the machine at the same speed. The belts engage the outside cleats of the wider sections of the box blanks while the spur wheels engage the outside cleats of the narrower sections. Thus, despite the irregularity of the lateral edges of the box blanks, the blanks are fed properly through the rock fastener machine.

While a specific illustrative arrangement of the belts and spur Wheels has been shown, it will be apparent from the foregoing disclosure how this arrangement may be varied to suit the requirements of the particular type of box blanks being worked upon. The combination of the belts and spur wheels is flexible enough to accomplish proper feeding of a wide variety of types of box blanks, many of which could not be properly handled by the feeding mechanisms heretofore in use.

It will thus be seen that the aforementioned as well as other desirable objects have been achieved. it should be emphasized, however, that the particular embodiment of the invention described and shown herein is intended as merely illustrative and not as. restrictive of the invention I claim:

In 'a-wirebound box-making machine of the type where in a continuous succession of box blanks having alternate narrower and wider sections secured together by binding wires are conveyed past mechanism which severs the binding wires in the interval between adjacent box blanks and forms the end portions of the cut wires into interengageable fasteners, apparatus for conveying said box blanks comprising a pair of feed wheels rotatably mounted below the path of said box blanks in position for frictional engagement with the undcrsurfaces of the outside cleats on the narrower sections of said box blanks, a pair of presser wheels rotatably mounted above the path of said box blanks and positioned to engage the upper faces of said box blanks opposite the point of engagemerit of said feed wheels, yieldable means urging said presser wheels toward said feed wheels to enhance the frictional engagement of said feed wheels With said box blanks, movably mounted feed belts positioned for frictional engagement with the opposite. lateral edges of the wider sections of said box blanks, and driving means connected to drive said feed Wheels and said feed belts in synchronisrn to cause movement of said box blanks through said machine.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 608,809 Uhri Aug. 9, 1898 895,318 Warren Aug. 4, 1908 2,125,461 Rosenmund Aug. 2, 1938 2,161,200 Rosenmund June 6, 1939 2,464,691 Kingsley Mar. 15, 1949 2,542,133 Gorby Feb. 20, 1951' FOREIGN PATENTS 18,977 Great Britain Aug. 12, 1910 

